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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has refuted claims that it denied former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, access to medical care and family visits while in custody.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 19 over alleged financial impropriety during his tenure between 2015 and 2023. He was arraigned on April 13 before a Kaduna High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on fraud and abuse of office.
Controversy arose following allegations by Mohammed Bello, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency and son of the former governor. Bello had claimed that ICPC officials prevented El-Rufai’s wife from delivering food and barred a doctor from attending to him.
However, speaking at a press conference on Monday, ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey described the allegations as “false and misleading.”
Odey explained that the commission operates a strict access control protocol, allowing visits only between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. According to him, El-Rufai’s wife arrived at the facility at about 7:00 p.m., beyond the permitted visiting hours.
“The families of all defendants in ICPC custody were duly informed of this protocol and have complied prior to this incident,” Odey stated.
He added that on the day in question, the former governor’s wife and a housemaid were allowed to deliver food on multiple occasions between 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., contradicting claims of denial.
The spokesperson also noted that visitor records are available for verification and maintained that authorised individuals, including family members, legal representatives, and medical personnel,are granted access within stipulated hours.
Addressing the medical access allegation, Odey said ICPC only required proper identification and confirmation before granting supervised entry to medical personnel, describing the process as standard security procedure.
He further disclosed that El-Rufai had recently been permitted to visit both his dentist and eye specialist under official supervision, in addition to having access to in-house medical services.
Odey emphasised that heightened security measures were necessary given the former governor’s profile and insisted that the commission would not be swayed by “dramatised narratives” aimed at undermining established procedures.
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